Hammerable, hand removable nail/stake

ABSTRACT

A hand-removable nail/stake comprises a bottom component with at least one elongated spike point for inserting into the ground for anchoring an item; and a top component with an aperture through which a user&#39;s hand will fit for removing the nail/stake from the ground when no longer needed for anchoring. The top component has an uppermost surface for hammering and preferably includes at least one hammering face from one side. Optionally, the aperture includes a plurality of finger-gripping indents.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a perfection of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/142,106, filed on Apr. 2, 2015, the disclosure of which is fully incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to devices for securing various products to outdoor environs, like the ground. It can be used for holding a fishing chair to a sandy shore or adjacent riverbed. Alternate variations can be used to hold sporting equipment, tenting, leisure chairs and/or various animal traps to the ground (i.e. a lawn or forest bed).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to provide securement means that properly holds (anchors) an item to the ground so that it cannot be accidentally loosened. It is another object to provide a yard nail/stake that includes means for using one such device to hammer into the ground a second such device. It is a further object to provide these securement devices with hand holes for assisting with extraction when no longer needed for anchoring. It is yet another object to provide these devices with a common aperture (or central hook, in the alternative), for securing together multiple nails/stakes in storage until needed for anchoring.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Further features, objectives and advantages for these inventions will become clearer when referring to the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a front plan view showing one embodiment of hand removable nail/stake according to this invention, said embodiment having an inverted triangular-shaped top;

FIG. 1B is a front plan view showing a first alternative to the hand removable nail/stake of FIG. 1A with a hammering head extending outwardly from one (i.e. the left) lateral side;

FIG. 2A is a front plan view showing a second alternative embodiment of hand removable nail/stake according to this invention, said alternative embodiment having a semi-circular, or dome-shaped top. This view also shows an optional hinging of the nail/stake head with its own release pin;

FIG. 2B is a front plan view showing the second alternative embodiment of FIG. 2A but with a hammering head extending from one (i.e, the left) lateral side;

FIG. 3 is a front upper perspective of a third alternative embodiment of hand removable nail/stake (whose shaft is shown in partial cutaway), said third alternative embodiment having a substantially rectangular or square-shaped top and having a hammering head extending from one lateral side;

FIG. 4 is a front plan view showing a fourth alternative embodiment of hand removable nail/stake according to this invention, said fourth alternative embodiment having a hairpin-shaped base with two stake components for securing piping or another object (such as a snake trap) to the ground, and then easily pulling it back out of the ground when no longer needed for ground securement;

FIG. 5 show a front perspective view of a fifth alternative embodiment of nail/stake according to this invention whose shaft is shown in partial cutaway, said fifth alternative embodiment having an oval or ring-like configuration; and

FIG. 6 is a front plan view for a sixth alternative embodiment of nail/stake having a cross-like shape with an upper and lower crossbar to the vertical stake component, the upper bar being suitable for pulling out the stake when no longer needed for anchoring.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Note that the various embodiments of hand-removable nail/stakes described herein, in detail, are for representative/exemplary purposes. It is understood that these same concepts are subject to many different variations in structure, design, application and methodology. Because many varying and different embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept(s) herein taught, and because many modifications may be made in the embodiment herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirements of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The aforementioned hand-removable nail/stakes should be made from a sturdy enough material so as to securely anchor a tent, chair, sporting equipment (fishing rod, volleyball net, etc.) or other outdoor implement to the ground to a sufficient depth so as to not be easily removed therefrom by the wind and/or any other activity within or adjacent the anchored part. Ideally, that means having a stake component, beneath the head component, that is at least about 8-10 inches long, and more preferably about 12-15 inches for heavier items needing anchoring herewith.

Referring now to the accompanying FIGS, it should be noted that common elemental components between the various embodiments are commonly numbered though in the next hundred series.

As for the first device embodiment, generally 10, it consists of s main head element 12, a connector 14 and an elongated spike shaft 16 that terminates into a point 18. Main head component 12 for the first embodiment is shaped like an inverted triangle. Atop the upper most plane 22 of head element 12, there is included a striking (or hammering) surface 24 for readily pounding the device 10 into the sand/ground, etc. for anchoring something therewith. On the reverse of upper plane 22, or inner plane 26, there is a hand-gripping component 28 with optional, individualized finger sections F as shown.

For ease of collecting several such devices and storing them altogether until needed, the connector 14 of device 10 (as shown), includes an aperture 30. That aperture may be replaced by or supplement a common hook head (not shown) in still alternate variations.

The primary difference between FIGS. 1A and 1B concerns the express addition of a hammering head 140 to the latter device 110 of FIG. 1B. That hammering head 140 would extend from one lateral side (the left side 142 being shown for representative purposes) though it is to be understood that the reverse side could be hammer-headed or both left and right sides in the alternative. Ideally, hammering head 140 is sufficiently sized and weighted so as to provide ample strength when using a first device to strike the hammering surface 124 of a second such device into the ground.

In accompanying FIGS. 2A and 2B, still other head shape variations are depicted. The device 210 of FIG. 2A has a semi-circular shaped upper head element 222 with its own hammering surface 224 situated thereon. In the hammer-headed alternative at FIG. 2B, once again the left side 342 to that device 310 is fitted with its own striking hammerhead face 340.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show another optional variation with the purposeful hinging of the handle components 250, 350 to their respective lower frame components 252, 352. With the pushing in-pulling out of locking pin 254, 354 on these models, the main body of the upper head elements may be flipped or rotated back (or forward) for exposing an uppermost protruding head 215, 315 to the respective spike shafts 216, 316. That protruding head can assist with better securing/driving each such device into the ground in addition to, or in place of repeatedly striking hammering surface 224, 324 with the hammerhead 340 of a second such nail/stake device.

In the next alternative embodiment, device 410 of FIG. 3 shows a rectangular (or almost square-shaped) head element 412 with all other components consistent with earlier numbered variations.

FIG. 4 shows yet another alternative in which that nail/stake device 510 has a pair (or two) intentionally forked or split spacer arms 516A and 516B. In this doubly-staked alternative, the optional use of a finger pull up 528 and hammering head 540 are shown with dotted lines. The “hairpin” shape of this variation lets the device better situate about piping or tubing (or possibly even a necked-animal trap) for better securement to the ground between its spaced tines 516A and B and spaced lower points 518A and B.

FIG. 5 shows yet another alternative device 610 in which the shape to upper head 512 is more oval or ring-like. It nevertheless has a striking top head component 514 situated directly thereon.

Finally, the more open-framed variation of device 610 in FIG. 6 shows more of a cross configuration with an upper crossbar 622 and lower frame bar 652 therebeneath. IN this last representative alternative, the device gets secured by striking directly onto the protruding uppermost head 615 of stake element 616; while removal (when anchoring is no longer necessary) gets accomplished by pulling up form one or both sides of upper bar 622 alone.

It is expected that this invention will make these nail/stakes from durable/reusable materials, preferably metals like steel, aluminum or the like. For less critical applications, however, it may be possible to make the same invention from hardened plastics or other composite materials that are able to withstand repeated hammerings against one of its own types of anchor components. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A hand-removable nail/stake comprises a main head element and a spiked shaft, said main head element having: (a) an uppermost surface for hammering the nail/stake into ground for anchoring; and (b) means for pulling the main head element upwardly to remove the main element when no longer needed for anchoring.
 2. The nail/stake of claim 1 wherein the pulling means includes a plurality of finger recesses.
 3. The nail/stake of claim 1 wherein the main head element further includes a hammering face extending from at least one lateral side.
 4. The nail/stake of claim 2 wherein the main head element includes a hammering face extending from opposed lateral sides.
 5. The nail/stake of claim 1 wherein the main head element is made from a metal selected from steel and aluminum.
 6. The nail/stake of claim 1 wherein the main head element is made from hardened plastic.
 7. The nail/stake of claim 1 wherein the main hand element is hinged to swing away and has a locking pin therefor.
 8. A hand-removable nail/stake comprising: (a) a bottom component with at least one elongated spike point for inserting into the ground for anchoring an item; and (b) a top component with an aperture through which a user's hand will fit for removing the nail/stake from the ground when no longer needed for anchoring, said top component having an uppermost surface for hammering.
 9. The nail/stake of claim 8 wherein the top component is triangularly-shaped.
 10. The nail/stake of claim 8 wherein the top component is semi-circularly shaped.
 11. The nail/stake of claim 8 wherein the top component is rectangularly-shaped.
 12. The nail/stake of claim 8 wherein the top component includes a plurality of finger-gripping indents.
 13. The nail/stake of claim 8 wherein the top component further includes a hammering face at one end.
 14. The nail/stake of claim 13 wherein the top component includes a hammering face at opposed ends.
 15. The nail/stake of claim 8 wherein the bottom component includes a pair of spaced apart, elongated spikes.
 16. The nail/stake of claim 8 wherein the top component is hinged to swing away and has a locking pin therefor.
 17. The nail/stake of claim 8, which is made from steel.
 18. The nail/stake of claim 8, which is made from aluminum.
 19. The nail/stake of claim 8, which is made from hardened plastic. 